1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the rehabilitation of damaged limbs, and more specifically it concerns novel methods and apparatus for exercising the muscles and joints of damaged limbs in a manner particularly well suited to restoration of their ability to perform useful work.
2. Description of the Prior Art
People who have had injuries to limbs often undergo a program of physical rehabilitation therapy in an effort to regain their lost capabilities. The term "rehabilitation" as used herein is meant to encompass both the diagnostic and revivicative aspects of therapy.
This program of rehabilitation, besides including treatment by massage, bath, and electricity, often also included the use of machines to strengthen muscles through exercise. Such exercising machines are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,777,439, 3,103,357, and 3,495,824.
These exercise machines comprised a moveable element which was pushed, pulled or turned in a specific direction by the patient. A resistance, such as a spring, weight or brake was connected to the moveable element to provide a controlled amount of reaction force.
While exercise machines enabled one to strengthen specific muscles, their limited, stylized movements did not permit the kind of therapy that was usually needed to enable the patient to return to his previous trade or occupation which often involved a complex combination of limb movements carried out in a coordinated fashion. For example, the motions required to saw a board, to operate a drill press and to drive a vehicle require the simultaneous coordinated movements of several muscles and joints with different muscles being put under different stresses at different times. While it may be possible for one to strengthen wrist movements in a specific direction using a prior art exercise machine and to strengthen forearm movements in a specific direction on another exercise machine, this does not mean that the patient after having received therapy on these machines can then perform an operation which requires coordinated wrist and forearm movements such as take place when operating a wrench.
In dealing with this problem, physical therapists attempted to reestablish the work situation to which the patients would be exposed upon their discharge by the simulation in the hospital of actual job activities. Various tools such as lathes and drill presses were provided to aid in rehabilitation. This scheme had the disadvantage that the patient could practice only on the particular type of machine that was available in the hospital. Since space limitations prevented the introduction of every kind of mechanical apparatus encountered in the real world into a hospital workshop, this scheme had limited utility. Moreover, it was expensive to provide these machines for the patients and, in some cases, dangerous for the patients to practice on them as well.